Rates 'option' means a retreat without a fight

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[health workers, train drivers, water workers, the largest strike since 1926 on September 22, 1982 ete and clearly avoids the crucial point that he himself [as a Brent councillor} is in a position to give a lead. He is not just observing someone else's struggle.

Discards He discards this responsibility totally when he resorts to the time-honoured L argument of the labour movement bureaucrat that 'the reality is that the Tories will not be removed this side of a general election, and Labour authorities must make the choice of defending the worst off at the expense of the middle class and small businesses.

'At the same time we must use our position on the ployed, Hounds Gate. Creche and lunch available. Morning includes speakers from CPSA NEC and Child. Poverty Action Group, and a Labour MP; afternoon workshops on ESSP, job centres/ethnic monitoring, new supplementary benefit legislation.

Open to all unemployed people and delegates from trade union and labour movement organisations.

Labour Campaign for Gay Rights public mecting:

"Gay liberation and the labour movement"

Friday March 18, 7.30 at County Hall. London SEI Speakers include Andy irris (GLC), a Labour MP, and a NUPE representative.

GAY LPYS meeting. Sunday February 27, 6pm, at Council to campaign for more resources from central government and for a Labour government which will inject millions of pounds into the inner city areas and actually reduce the rates burden.' The Tories certainly won't be removed as long as we duck the fight against them. Socialists often have to accept that the support is not forthcoming for a fight, but that is after attempting to get that support, not assuming from the start that we will fail.

Talk of campaigning for more resources from central government rings hollow when no proposals for such a campaign are forthcoming, nor ever have been.

If such a campaign simply means a few posters and delegations.to King, then it 'Gay's the Word' bookshop • 66 Marchmont St, London • WC1. Nearest tube; Russell Square. AIl LPYS members and non-members welcome 'HOW TO Fight for a Labour Victory': "The call for a national meeting of CLPs, unions, and campaigning groups in the Party came from a conference of Briefing groups on February 5, in view of the threats posec by growing speculation.

that unilateralism will not be in the manifesto;

and continued attempts to expel members of the Party. " Monday Murch 7, 7.30, House of Commons LABOUR democracy and local governmeni: day conFOR A is laughable. The only type of 'campaign' to get more money from the government is building for confrontation.

Buying time

In the end all talk over the last three years of 'buying time for a fight by using rate rises comes down to one thing - 'for the election of a labour government' Yet the way to ensure a committment from a future labour government of restoring cuts [something the present leadership have not even promised on paper] is by fighting those cuts now.

A labour government will use the same argument as Frank Hansen - 'the time is not ripe' '; 'pressure from the IMF' etc etc.

Lastly, Hansen days, probably correctly, that a ference for District Labour Parties, Saturday March 26, 10.30 to 4.30, at Manchester Poly Students' Union. Sponsored by Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester DLPs. Contact: Frances Done, Manchester City Labour Party, Hulme Labour Club, 1 Stoneylow Close, Manchester M15 Labour Movement Campaign for Palestine public meeting:

THE FIGHT FOR PALESTINE Speakers: Tariq Ali, Brown MP. (Leith), Moshe Machover, speakers from Women for Palestine and Lebanese National Movement. Wednesday February 23, 8pm at County Hall,. London SEl. section of the right of Brent's Labour Group have indicated that they will not vote for a high rate increase. On Brent Council [Labour by way of the mayor's casting vote] it will only take one labour councillor to vote against the Labour Group [always assuming that the Group adopts Hansen's strategy] for cuts to go through.

Question Does Hansen then want us to: build a campaign amongst tenants to get them to fight for higher rates? Just to pose the question shows how ridiculous Hansen's position is. It will leave the left in no position to take up a fight against cuts and redundancies.

EL SALVADOR Solidarity Campaign: Labour Movement conference, Saturday May 14, 10am-5pm, County Hall, London SE1. Credentials £2 from ESSC, 29 Islington Park St, London N1.

PICKETthe Home Office Support Muhammad Idrish Thursday February 24, 2.30pm.

Free coach from Birmingham (phone Ahsan, 021551 1846, for details): Coach from Bristol (phone Graham Reid, 0272 667933) Maximum labour movement support, please!

Sheffield Labour movement conference on Ireland. Satur day March 19, Sheffield University Students' Union, 9.30 to 4.30. Sponsored by Sheffield Trades Council, Sheffield District Labour Party, and Sheffield LCI.

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